Collide
by Two Hearts
Summary: When fiction and reality collide, change is inevitable. Feelings develop, uncontrollable yearning for a future not meant to be, or so Kagome thinks. It all starts with a simple message. The internet is a marvelous invention, and with this modern means of communication, she meets Sesshomaru, a man she has never met, but who inevitably holds her heart in hands she has never grasped.
1. Acquaintance

Acquaintance

Finally.

Class was over.

Time to go home.

Kagome shoved her English text book and writing manual into her book bag she kept close to her feet, along with her mechanical pencil and folder specifically used for this class, and lurched to her feet. She felt exhausted. Not enough sleep. As usual. Either it was insomnia kicking her in the ass—and hell yeah it existed, so if anyone dared say otherwise to her face, she'd knock 'em out—or she'd been stupid and stayed up way too late even if she was tired. Why would she dare sacrifice precious sleep when it finally came knocking on her door?

One would think it was for a very damn good reason. In reality, it was anything but. Like the moron she was, Kagome had the horrible habit of being on her laptop—not to watch porn like any normal twenty-year-old—and signing on some chat site. Always a free membership, of course. Hardly ever that group chat nonsense—the topic was nonexistent in one of those and confusing as hell as everyone said whatever the hell was on their mind without actually making a decent conversation. Instead, she used a private—snorts—PM site called Chatango.

It was lame to the extreme, but she'd become aware of the site when she was still in high school. Add a lonely girl with hardly any friends and the internet and bingo! Chatango. Or some other lame assed site where people sign-up (again, for free!), make some lame attempt at a profile and start messaging whoever's profile catches your attention.

Back when she'd first found Chatango, it had been an alright site. Now, however, it had become more like a porno chat site than anything else. A shame, really. It used to be a lot easier to find someone of some intellect to talk with. Not anymore. She constantly received PMs wanting to cyber, which was a lot like dirty talk but more novel styled in writing.

Truthfully, though she was embarrassed to admit it, she used to be heavily into it. As her English writing skills advanced, so did her need for better partners. She'd always hope to God Almighty that he'd, whoever he was, came to par with her need for better and more descriptive players.

Too many used text lingo, failed to use any form of grammar and sentence structure, but what had really annoyed her was the lack of substance her partner's responses would be. She'd wanted more than one sentence replies, craved something detailed and that would really catch her attention and make her think carnal thoughts. Such cyber players were rare, sadly.

Her thoughts on cybering nowadays, however? Hella boring. How the hell had she ever gotten into something so…ridiculous? She'd been young and stupid, impressionable. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

Other college students filed past her, and as soon as she saw an opening, she stepped forward and followed everyone out of the classroom. The hum of chatting students filled the air, teasing shoves and slaps, even outright flirting, made Kagome long to be with Sango. Her best friend, the same friend who'd gone to high school with her and joined the same university as her, but no. Sango was away for the week, playing hooky with her new boyfriend—the womanizer—Miroku.

Kagome shook her head. She had no idea what Sango saw in the letch, but one thing was for sure. Miroku was a bad influence on her best friend. How else would you explain Sango being agreeable to miss an entire week of classes to be on some kind of extended date? It was foolish to the extreme.

 _Lucky bitch,_ Kagome thought, sighing, wishing she could find a man to go off on some romantic trip with, too.

Oh, there was still Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka, but they had turned into real party girls since attending college, always partying, drinking—even though they were underage like herself, except for Yuka, of course—and flirting with the boys. Oh, sure, wasn't partying to be expected of girls, even the boys, when attending college? It was considered normal, but so not her thing. Wasn't her scene. So her old gang kind of drifted away, in a big way, because of her 'strict' and 'old maid's' attitude.

They still hung out, sometimes. Rarely. But Sango was the real friend around here, and what was the other girl doing? Skipping class and probably having wild, kinky sex with her new boy toy. _Cough._ She meant _boyfriend_ , not boy toy. Had she thought that? Nah. Must've imagined it.

As she walked through the hall and into the main social area everyone congregated in, there were sofas and chairs, coffee tables and two, huge flat screen TVs, and along one wall, a smoothie bar, and in another room just off the far hallway, a snack room filled with snack and drink machines and more tables to sit at. Like usual around this time, late afternoon, students were hanging around, socializing.

Kagome eyed them briefly before tightening her hand around her shoulder strap to her pack and made her away around the mob and towards the portals leading outside. Freedom. To where? The parking lot where she'd parked her car. Yes, her car. She'd paid for the old rust bucket right out of high school. She'd been waitressing part-time since starting high school and saved like a motherfucker. She not only bought her own wheels but shared a two bedroom apartment with Sango, who also waitressed with her at the same diner as she.

They'd mutually agreed that they didn't want to pay the outrageous price to get a dorm room on campus and instead of continuing to live with their folks, they sought independence and rented an apartment. At first, that idea had been spectacular. Until Sango up and went and got herself a boyfriend. Whenever Miroku spent the night, Kagome would put in her earphones and listen to music instead of listening to her friend's moans of pleasure—amongst other, nauseating things. _Ew!_

Luckily, tonight would be a silent one. No moans and groans or slapping and banging sounds. Just peaceful silence.

Depressing. The silence, that was, not the lack of sex going on in the other room. Again, ewww!

She sighed. She should make new friends, put herself out there and find a boyfriend, too. However, she was horribly shy, more bookish than anything, so her social skills were much to be desired. And yet it was so easy to be with Sango. She wasn't shy, did crazy, humorous crap with her best friend without feeling self-conscious at all. It was natural. But talking to strangers and trying to understand the majority of the people her age was _not_ simple or easy, let alone natural.

Everyone was so…superficial and shallow. Selfish, self-centered, not knowing the first thing about responsibility. There was a time and place for everything, such as when to have fun and when to be serious. Her peers needed a crash course in the latter. It was much easier talking to someone her mother's age or even her grandfather's age. They were more real, more down to earth, and not two-faced like many her own age. Was it any wonder she was finding it difficult to make new friends even though she'd been attending college for the last two years, working on her English major?

She had dreams of teaching the subject, to find like minds to share her passions of reading, writing, and literature, but many her age didn't appreciate words like she did. She pitied them. They were _obviously_ missing out! Books were key to her happiness, such pretty words strung together so masterfully as to be spellbinding, captivating. She shrugged mentally. Their loss. Poor saps. The follies of youth.

Speaking of youth. She was itching to get back to her place, jump on her laptop, and log-in to Chatango. Lame it might be, but she'd made a handful of friends there, even shared her Facebook page with a couple if they were worth the privilege and chat with them there—a forward progression in friendship. However, she wanted to 'meet' more people, and the best way was to browse Chatango.

Perhaps you could say it was her 'hunting grounds'. Hey, friendships didn't just have to be with people you meet face to face. There were some really awesome people she'd met online, and she valued them in her life, even if it was only an online type of interaction. She was still making an effort for them, to talk to them, to comfort them when they had problems, and they did the same for her. _It meant something,_ and to hell with anyone who dared say her online friends were meaningless and 'not real'.

They were real. They lived and breathed. Just because she couldn't see them in person and hang out at some coffee shop or whatever didn't mean they didn't exist.

She hoped Kaguya was online… The slightly older woman was her dear friend, and secretly, Kagome even cared for her more than Sango. Why? She didn't understand it herself. It was not like Sango had ever done anything wrong or that she thought less of her best friend, but Kaguya was just…different. So mature and understanding, never took advantage of her kindness and appreciated everything Kagome did for her. Of course, she did not say this to Sango, because even in her own mind, she sounded horrid.

Who even had a 'love meter', anyway? She loved her family and friends, and yet some people meant more to her than others, even though she loved them all in similar or different ways. They were all special, but still… Kaguya was different. Kagome loved her. Platonically, of course. As she made it to her car, unlocked the door and threw her bag inside before getting behind the wheel, she grimaced. The thought of having romantic feelings for Kaguya, that anyone would dare suggest such a thing… No. Just…no.

Kaguya meant a shit ton to her, and she'd seen the older woman's picture before, knew what a bombshell Kaguya was, but it was all platonic. It rankled should anyone misjudge her feelings and insist that she wanted anything romantic with her friend. It seemed like to her that they'd belittle their friendship by thinking sex was the contributing factor or her endgame in their relationship. And though she didn't currently have a boyfriend herself, Kagome new she was definitely straight.

Starting her car with the key in the ignition, she backed out of her space, then drove slowly through campus, stopping at the numerous stop signs, letting pedestrians—mostly fellow college students—walk along the crosswalk before continuing on her way. As she waited at another crosswalk, she reached into her glove department, took out the pack of smokes stashed within—Fortuna menthol, long—and lit up with a lighter she kept in another small storage cubby underneath the radio. Just a push of the button, and a small hideaway compartment slid open.

Cigarette lit, students off the street, and she was on her way, and exiting through the main gates. A puff of smoke, a hit of mint and nicotine filled her lungs. She hadn't been smoking long, not even a year, and she usually bought small cigars—usually a vanilla flavored—'cause they were hella cheaper, but curse her neighbor, though she loved the middle aged woman dearly, Kaede smoked Fortuna's, too, but the shorts, and got her hooked on the expensive stuff.

A bad habit, for sure, but who the hell cared? She lived in the freakin' city. Tokyo wasn't exactly the cleanest air to be breathing, that was for sure. She hadn't always lived in Tokyo. Nope. She actually grew up in Okinawa, on a shrine with her mother and grandfather. Oh, and she couldn't forget her younger brother, Souta. He was in high school right now, a jr. It was there that she'd bought her 'new' car from an elderly couple who'd given up driving due to medical issues.

She'd thought, naively, that having her own wheels would be the best option. A show of independence, a way to get around whenever she wanted, not having to wait for the train or bus. Instead, every time she drove, she was worried out of her mind because of traffic. Driving on those packed and fast moving streets was hell on her nerves, and don't get her started on gas prices. She probably should have used that money from buying her 'baby' for more practical things.

She should really stop smoking… Or at least invest in an e-cig. The rechargeable kind, the kind you put whatever kind of flavored nicotine you want in it. Maybe. A worry for another day.

 _Fuuuuuck…_ Rush hour. As she drove to her place, her thoughts ran wild.

 _Ooh gawd! I'mma get hit!_

 _What are you doing, motherfucker?_ She eyed a parked vehicle obviously wanting to enter traffic on her left side. _Don't even think about it._ She passed him. _Oh, good._

A group of people crossed the street on a red light, and a straggler just had to run in front of traffic even though the light had turned green. _Of all the stupid—! Argh! People these days. Complete idiots!_

 _Watch where you're going!_ she almost screamed as a car whizzed past her in the other lane a little—a lot—too close for comfort.

Road rage? Her? Pfft. The phrase didn't apply to her, as she was justifiably miffed when people wanted to be stupid.

More driving, more scares of having an accident, of life and death scenarios. More inner screams and childish whimpers.

 _Is he going to hit me?_

 _Oh, God, please don't hit my car! Not my baby!_

She groaned. _Please, God. If You exist, please, just please get me safely home. That's all I ask, okay?_

 _I'M GOING TO DIE!_

And then finally… _I'm home… I can't believe I made it out alive! Again!_ Kagome could have cried in thankfulness. _Who the man, ah, woman? Me. That's who._ Add a little shimmy, shimmy to her stride as she walked towards her apartment complex and ignored the odd look a man gave her as he walked out of the building she was walking into. _Yeah, keep walking, baldy. Nothing to see here except, I'm alive! I'm the wo-man!_

Still on a happy-go-lucky buzz after surviving the streets of Tokyo again, Kagome pressed the button going up for the elevator, and stepped inside after waiting for its passengers to get off. She stepped into the small box with three other people right behind her.

Even as she pressed the button to floor number four, she graciously asked which floor the others were headed and pressed those buttons, too. Getting off on her floor a minute later, she made her way to her door, unlocked it, and went inside. She locked the door right after her. One could never be too careful, you know. Book bag tossed onto the couch, she instantly made her way to her coffee machine. Caffeine was her drug of choice next to her need for nicotine, and in a couple minutes, her cup was brewing. Gotta love the single cup machines. Invaluable.

As the scent of coffee filled the small kitchen, the sound of gurgling water ringing in her ear, Kagome went to the fridge and hunted for something to eat. She was starving. Grabbing some leftover turkey salad and wheat bread, she made herself a sandwich. When her coffee was finished brewing after her sandwich was put together, she grabbed her creamer from the fridge, coconut flavor, her favorite, and poured some of the sweet liquid into her cup. Perfect.

Food and coffee in hand, she migrated into her bedroom, set everything on her desk next to her laptop, before planting her ass in her rolling chair. Laptop on, food in hand, she was on cloud nine. Until she realized that Kaguya wasn't online. Total buzzkill.

She sighed.

Without missing a beat, she brought up another webpage and logged into Chatango, her username: bookworm101. Lame. Yeah. So what? One name worked as well as any other. Her profile had a cute neko anime picture, as if she'd use one of her own, and a brief welcoming message in the info box greeted her.

Viewing her friend's list, she saw two out of the five saved there were already online. Usernames 'hurtmebaby' and 'zeekthegeek0o'. Again, lame as fuck. Still, don't care.

Hurtmebaby was actually a guy named Mark, age twenty-four, and she'd been talking to him for about two weeks now. Totally possible he'd given her false info. For all she knew, he could actually be a thirteen-year-old boy or an old woman. Same went to zeekthegeek0o, supposedly a nineteen-year-old male, whose name was Larry. Now that name she might believe was actually his own. Who would actually have such a ridiculous name as Larry as a fake alias?

Snorts.

Both males lived in the United States, or so they claimed. It was whatever to her. She was just there so she wasn't 'alone'.

Before she could click on either of their names, Mark (a.k.a. hurtmebaby) messaged her.

' _Hey Kagome. Wazup?'_

Text lingo. She hated text lingo. She knew English pretty damn well, loved it just as much as she loved her own language, Japanese, and to see it so butchered caused her some degree of annoyance. It had taken her years of studying and dedication in high school, then more in college, to become proficient in English, so to see it so mangled justifiably annoyed her. Especially considering she was majoring in English. Still, it was all too normal.

Sigh.

' _Hey, Mark. Nothing much. Just got back from class. How are you?'_

She refused to message back using texting abbreviations or sacrifice proper grammar. Maybe one day—soon—he would get the memo and type correctly. Not perfectly. Mistakes happen, but at least try!

Nope. His next PM proved he'd yet to learn. Cue another sigh.

' _Just chillaxin' babe.'_

Babe? Had he seriously just called her _babe_? Obviously, he hadn't learned to stop calling her that when she'd asked him not to previously. Ah well. She was bored. She'd let it slide. For now, anyway.

' _Cool,'_ she typed back simply.

Larry messaged her then. Again with the hellos and how are yous. Same ole, same ole. Booooring.

Clicking the 'search' tab next to her 'friend' tab, she browsed the list of people online, looking at profile pictures, more interested in their personal info box, trying to find someone interesting to message.

As she messaged Mark and Larry for the next twenty or so minutes without finding someone remotely interesting—goddamn cyber and rp accounts!—when finally one caught her attention.

Male, thirty-two, profile picture of a crescent moon, username 'TheWesternLord', and location not disclosed. Looking at his info box, it stated:

 _Greetings,_

 _My name is not important right now, but you may call me your liege or whatever the hell you want. Just looking for an intellectual chat, nothing more, so all you sex freaks, make yourself scarce and do us both a favor and don't message me. I do not rp or cyber, so don't waste my time, and I won't waste yours._

And that was it. Pretty cheeky. And bossy. Arrogant, too and straight to the point. She liked it. With a grin, she clicked on TheWesternLord's name, and another message box appeared next to the other two. Ignoring her 'friends' for the moment, she typed a quick reply to TheWesternLord, and wondered if he'd even reply back. With a profile like that, he might not.

' _Hello, stranger. You don't know me, and I don't know you, but perhaps we can change that?'_

Still with proper grammar and sentence structure. That was her. Little Miss Perfect. Maybe she should have had that as her username instead. She chuckled and heard the _bing_ of a new message.

 _He_ replied.

' _Hello to you, too, stranger. Cute opening line.'_

' _Cute as a button,'_ she typed. _'That's me. I'm Kagome. Nice to meet you.'_

She wondered if he'd offer up his name, give her an alias, or insist she call him _my liege_ as his profile dictated. Yeah, right. Not even in his dreams.

' _Again with the cute replies. I like it. I notice you're from Japan and have a Japanese name. A strange name, for sure. Bird in a cage, I believe the song goes.'_

' _I do and that is my name. Blame my mother. She's the one who named me. And I happen to like my name.'_

' _Charming,'_ he replied.

That was it? Just one word? Was it meant as a compliment, or was he making fun of her? It was hard to tell without seeing his face or hearing the inflection to his voice. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and not jump his butt like a mad woman.

' _It is indeed.'_ Growing bold, she asked, _'What's your name? It can't be weirder than mine.'_

' _Wanna bet?'_

" _It can't be that bad…'_

' _Sesshomaru.'_

The killing perfection, she thought.

' _No way! You're lying.'_

' _Yes, way.'_

 _No way,_ she thought but didn't type again, disbelieving _Sesshomaru_. But if he wanted to use that name, who was she to judge or complain? Another small smile graced her lips, fingers tapping away.

' _Alright, Sesshomaru it is. How are you?'_

' _You think I don't know what you're thinking?'_ he typed. _'Don't believe me. Makes no difference to me. I am well. Just got off work not a half-hour ago, actually.'_

Being the polite girl she was, she first welcomed him home even though it really wasn't her place and she wasn't actually there to welcome him. Just being polite, nothing more. Then she wrote, _'You're right. We all tend to believe what we wish, regardless of facts or not. Where do you work?'_

As she waited for Sesshomaru's reply, she was about to message Mark… before she realized something. Sesshomaru was a Japanese name. Did that mean he was from Japan, too? She quickly asked Sesshomaru, _'Are you from Japan, too?'_

Ignoring Mark and Larry, she waited for Sesshomaru's reply even though she knew the other two men had already messaged her. Several times. Obviously, they were unhappy with her slow replies. Too bad. Let them wait.

' _Curious little thing, aren't you?'_

' _Always. Gonna tell me or what?'_

' _Since you asked so nicely,'_ she recognized sarcasm when she saw it, _'yes, I am from Japan, as well, but as to where I work? That's a need to know basis.'_

She rolled her eyes at that last part.

' _Meaning, "mind my own business".'_

' _Precisely.'_

' _What are you, a spy?'_

' _Perhaps.'_

She snorted. TheWesternLord or Sesshomaru or whoever the hell he was had a real chip on his shoulder. No doubt about it. Why was she even talking to him again? Oh, right. She was bored, and what was more, he posed as a challenge. That icy exterior he portrayed made her want to try her best to melt it, to get past his guard and see what really made him tick, to see if he was as cold as he made himself seem to be.

' _Ok, I'll be "nice" again and believe you concerning your name, but that you're a spy? Puh-lease.'_

She meant it as a joke, but his reply was kinda…aggravating, like he hadn't gotten the joke.

' _Believe what you wish.'_

'… _That was a joke.'_

And…nothing. No reply. She waited and waited and while she waited, she messaged the other two guys, trying not to feel impatient or irritated over the delay. Was he ignoring her or was he busy? She could readily forgive him for being busy, but blatantly ignoring her? When she was unwillingly intrigued by him? Maddening.

' _Forgive me. I have some business to attend to. Until next time.'_

She blinked, confused. He was leaving? Already?

' _Will there be a next time?'_ she typed, but he had already logged off right before she'd sent the message, missing him by a fraction of a second.

Ugh.

Until next time, he'd said… Kagome strangely hoped there _would_ be a next time.


	2. The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game

Games were created to be fun ways to entertain yourself, either alone or with friends. Kagome liked games. Well, she wasn't a huge fan of video games or online ones, either, but the 'old fashioned' ones were fun, like card and board games. Did that make her weird? Nah. She just knew what did and didn't like. And what she most certainly didn't like was the 'waiting game'. Patient she was not. Patiently waiting for a rude member to get back online was worse. Aggravating.

Why did she care if TheWesternLord, a.k.a. Sesshomaru, was still not active even though she'd been waiting for him to make do on his promise of _'till next time'_ for the better part of two days? It had to be because she was bored. All she did was attend class, go to work, tried not to get herself killed on the streets as she drove from one place to the next, and studied. Sango was scheduled to return in four days, next Monday, so Kagome had no one to hang out with.

So the majority of her free time was spent either reading a book, surfing the web, or chatting online. Facebook was a great invention only as a means to stay in contact with her good friends she'd met online. Otherwise, it was a cluster fuck of drama. Why anyone would post private, intimate details of their life for all to see, she did not understand. Nor did she get why people would bash another's post (though admittedly, some posts were asking for it). And the debates that would occur? It was more like childish bickering to her.

Nope. She was just there to chat with friends. That was all. Her friends list was rather small compared to people who had hundreds listed there. She hadn't even reached the number fifty on her list, and she was happy with that.

Maybe she should stream a movie…

Making up her mind, she picked an action movie she'd been dying to see, let the video load, and got up to make some popcorn and grab another cup of coffee. Who needed soda when one had coffee?

Not even ten minutes later, and Kagome grabbed her laptop, got comfortable on her bed with her legs stretched out as she sat against the headboard with a couple pillows to prop herself up. Bowl of popcorn beside her right hip, coffee on the small table by her bed, and she was just about ready to hit play when she heard a _bing_.

She'd left her chat site on, in a vain attempt to wait for a certain someone to get back on. Though she doubted _he_ would be on, messaging her, a flutter of anticipation centered on her chest, only to be squashed.

A username she was unfamiliar with, gormok, had sent her a message.

' _-Roughly grabs around your neck and pins to the floor leaning over you- Ello lil kitty ; ]'_

Understanding gormok's attempt to cyber with her as his actions were set off by dashes, she was instantly reminded of the times she'd participated in such foolishness. Sometimes, rarely, someone would actually write like in a novel, where their dialogue was set off with quotation marks, while the setting and the character's actions weren't. Like many users, this gormok did not use quotations.

Frowning at the message, she first looked at gormok's profile picture, which was certainly graphic. It was of a large, green anime monster, probably an ogre, and the beast was naked. Almost comically, the beast's member was extremely large, impossibly large. Snorting despite herself, Kagome was already sure what gormok was after. Still, she clicked on his profile.

It was a hella long one, too, rare for this site as many put the bare necessities there. Basically, this gormok was an ogre in some sort of clan. He gave a character description, his traits and personality, and yep. After skimming through it than actually reading it fully, Kagome deduced that her suspicions had been correct. It was most telling in the 'likes' portion—his sexual likes.

Just to play along, just for a second, she typed up her reply, but instead of setting off her reactions and actions with dashes, she used stars.

' _*gasps softly at the unexpectedly rough treatment, I lay relaxed on the floor* hello'_

As she waited perhaps two minutes for his reply, she ate some popcorn and took a sip from her mug. Mmm, french vanilla this time.

Another _bing_.

' _-Tightens my grip around your neck a great deal,my blood red eyes stareing down at you as i slam you against the floor abit- And what the hell does a lil slut like you think shes doing all the way out here in my territory~?'_

Wow. Instead of being surprised by the violent way he obviously wanted to play—obviously rape-play, cue shudder of disgust—Kagome was too busy catching every one of his typing mistakes.

She wasn't even surprised that someone wanted to role-play such a horrendous act, nor was she shocked that the other party was playing at being a huge, nasty ogre. Chatango was full of sickos. She lamented the fact that it had not always been so rampant with sick freaks, which was why she pondered even continuing using this site. But sometimes one did find a diamond in the rough. However, like now, sometimes she wondered if it was even worth the hassle. Gormok sure as hell made it less appealing.

She had a few choices here. Play along—hell no, so that really wasn't even a choice to consider, tell him to go away, or…

She blocked him. With a grin, she ate a few more kernels of popcorn, and that's when she realized one important fact. TheWesternLord was online. That telltale green dot was lit. The smirk she'd been sporting just a second ago morphed into a frown. Disgruntled, she sat there for a moment, contemplating. Should she say hello or wait for Sesshomaru to message her first? What if he didn't message her?

She decided to wait and give him a chance to respond first. How long had he been online anyway? He hadn't been when she'd decided to watch a movie, so it couldn't have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes ago.

Not wanting to just sit there and do nothing as she waited, she clicked on her movie tab, and clicked play. As the movie began, she kept half an eye on her Chatango tab. Even if she didn't hear the light _bing_ signaling a new message, she'd see the tab move with the name of the user who'd messaged her.

Five minutes went by without a message, then ten, twenty. Feeling more put out by the second, unable to enjoy her movie, she was just about to close out of the chat site and just watch her movie when the tab flashed. Someone messaged her!

Movie paused, a click of her mouse, and the one who'd messaged her was another unfamiliar username: Muthos.

His message was simple, small.

' _hi'_

With a sigh, she merely closed their chat, refusing to say a word to him. Then she eyed her friends list, specifically TheWesternLord. It was possible he hadn't friended her and didn't know she was online. If that was the case, she should be the first to say hello, right?

Not needing a better excuse, she did just that.

' _Hello again.'_

Plain and simple. She hoped he—

He replied quicker than she thought he would. Had he been waiting for her to? Why did the thought please her?

' _Good evening.'_

' _How are you?'_

' _Irritated.'_

Prying, she asked, _'Why?'_

Instead, he asked his own question. _'How can you stand this poor excuse for a chat site?'_

He surprised a small giggle out of her. Even though she could guess what he meant, she still asked, _'What do you mean?'_

' _Ever since joining last week, a poor decision on my part, I've had females try to grind on me, a woman attempt to "tame" me, and even men messaging me inappropriately.'_

Trying to placate him, she typed, _'It never used to be this way. Well, not this bad, in any case.'_

' _That is hard to believe.'_

' _If you hate it so much, why are you here?'_

Damn, she'd already clicked enter. She hadn't meant to say that, to imply he should leave when she wanted to talk to him. Hoping he wouldn't do just that, she waited, ignoring her paused movie, but not her coffee. Another sip. Delicious as always.

' _Why indeed.'_

Back to the short responses? She felt like sighing.

' _You're doing it again,'_ she messaged.

' _Doing what exactly?'_

' _Being short and clipped with your replies. Very aggravating, you know. It's hard to have a conversation when you refuse to participate.'_

She typed more than was necessary, trying to show by example that he should actually put substance into his replies.

' _If I was not participating, I would not even bother to reply even minimally.'_

Aggravating man. She told him, too. Messaged those two words to him.

TheWesternLord sat in his home office, at his desk, laptop on, with a pile of paperwork next to him that was mostly finished. Until he glanced at another pile waiting for him in his metal inbox. Removing his reading glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, fighting off a minor headache. Reading for long periods of time or staring at his bright laptop screen after a while did that to him, but wearing his reading glasses helped with the strain he constantly put on his eyes.

He could read just fine without them, even small print, but if it helped stave off a headache, he'd consented to picking up a few pairs when his doctor had suggested he purchase them after he'd voiced multiple complaints about his migraines. At first, vanity almost got the better of him—two years ago, was it?—but considering it was his job as a successful editor to a large publishing company to read manuscript after manuscript—among other things, like promoting an author's work—submitting to the necessity of glasses was necessary for the productivity of his work.

A writer's life was hectic at best, making his or her deadlines on time, but an editor's life was just as grueling. Proof-reading after proof-reading, countless editing and working with the many authors under his supervision. Sesshomaru loved his work, or he wouldn't have gone through everything he'd been through to get where he was today.

Now at the age of thirty-two, he was where he'd always strived to be in his career, and a very successful man, if he didn't say so himself. Hard work and dedication were key components when one went after his dream. A lot of hard work, a lot of headaches, and not a lot of spare time.

Right now he was online, participating in that ridiculous site his younger half-brother seemed so fond of.

He'd finally, secretly, made an account just to see what all the commotion was about, only to find basically a sex chat site. A very ridiculous one at that. Why was he even still using it? Not out of boredom. He had no time to suffer from it. He certainly wasn't impressed with the site, so he was far from intrigued.

But then there was bookworm101, a.k.a. Kagome, bird in a cage. He couldn't help but smirk at the name, a very unorthodox name, much like his own. And his half-brother's, of course. Inuyasha wasn't exactly a typical name, either. It seemed Kagome's mother was a lot like his father, choosing out of the box names for his children. They had talked very briefly—two days ago, was it?—and nothing of any consequence, and yet he here was, on Chatango again when he'd decided to give up on it.

It wasn't like he liked the girl. Was she really a twenty-year-old woman from Japan? She could be lying, probably was, and like him, she didn't have a picture of herself on her profile—which could easily be faked, too, had she posted a picture of a woman instead of some ridiculous, albeit, cute, neko.

She was sassy, intellectual and smart—going by her perfect grammar and sentence structure—but also she seemed like a decent person. Well, she hadn't tried to ask for his personal information, like his Skype, Facebook, or other social media, nor asked for nude photos, nor did she send any of her, and she hadn't tried to talk dirty to him or cyber with him.

Cybering. What a ridiculous pastime. He hadn't even known what it was until joining Chatango, and he could have lived a happy life without knowing of it. He didn't participate in it, and he'd hit the convenient block button upon many occasions the past week since joining. But there had been a few persistent motherfuckers. He'd delete one person then get a PM from the exact same person but with a different account, bitching at him for blocking him or her. Again with the blocking, just to aggravate said user even more. He received malicious glee about it, temporary, but oh so satisfying.

' _Am I bothering you…?'_ Kagome messaged him after he'd forgotten to reply, caught up in his thoughts.

' _You may bother me,'_ he typed back, wondering if she was as huffy by his minimal responses as he suspected. And didn't that put a grin on his face.

' _Make a girl feel privileged, why don't you?'_

Sarcasm. She seemed fond of it, and strangely, it didn't bother him a bit. She didn't seem to be giving him attitude, just responding to his jibes in a very humorous manner. Why was he enjoying this so much?

Just to rile her up a bit more… His fingers tapped away.

' _And you are just a girl, right? Not even legal to drink yet.'_

' _Not everyone is old like you,'_ was her teasing response.

And like any man, that comment hit his pride. _'Thirty-two is not old. You're just young.'_

' _In years maybe, compared to you—'_ again with a jibe to his age, _'—but I'm told often enough that I have an old soul.'_

Somehow, that did not surprise him. Kagome came off differently than other young people her age. Not that he was old by any means, aggravating girl, but he _was_ twelve years her senior. Either she was mature for her age, or she was older than her profile claimed.

She messaged again before he could.

' _Besides, I'll be twenty-one in a couple months, so soon, you'll be unable to give me those "not legal" comments.'_

' _Until then, I'll make any such comment to my heart's content,'_ he typed.

' _I don't see what the big deal is about it anyway, except an excuse for young adults to binge drink on their 21st birthday to prove they can. Not my cup of tea, or coffee as it were. Love coffee.'_

What an insightful and strange comment, he mused.

He typed up something lame. _'Coffee will stunt your growth.'_ He glowered at his message. How boorish could he be? He blamed it on the headache he had, and how tired he was after another long day at the office, and yet more work at home.

' _That got a laugh out of me. Believe me, I stopped growing in junior high. I am pathetically short. 5''4' actually.'_

Yes, she was very short, compared to him, at least. He said as much.

' _Cute. I'm 6''4'. I doubt you'd even reach my shoulders.'_

' _Not everyone is freakishly large like some people.'_

Meaning him. He couldn't help but chuckle at that. She amused him, this Kagome. Refreshing.

Though he knew she hadn't meant her comment in any sexual sense, his perverted mind, being the male he was, jumped on the word 'large'.

Before he realized what he was doing, he typed, _'You don't know the half of it.'_

He was taken aback at his wording, not horrified about referring to his package in even veiled as it was, but that he'd flirted. On Chatango, a ridiculous site, and with Kagome, the first woman who hadn't tried anything dirty with him. But going by her next reply, it was obvious the innuendo flew right over her head.

' _Bet your head has taken a few hits on door jams. Gotta admit, that's kinda funny.'_

Sesshomaru wanted to laugh at her naivety. Kagome was certainly different from what he was accustomed to, even outside of chat norms.

' _It's cruel to laugh at the injured.'_

' _I'll kiss it better for you…after I laugh, of course.'_

' _Really now?'_

' _Yep. A big wet, sloppy, noisy kiss. A very obnoxious one.'_

' _You make a kiss sound so very unappealing,'_ he joked. But then he realized his comment could be taken negatively. Thankfully, Kagome took it as the joke he had meant it to be.

' _I know right?'_

How long had they been chatting about the mundane, he wondered, glancing at the clock. About forty-five minutes had passed. He hadn't even realized time had eclipsed that fast, and lifting his gaze to the paperwork he still had to do told him he really didn't have the time on such inconsequential things.

While he'd been lost in thought, another _bing_ sounded, drawing his attention back to his laptop. Eyes hurting, headache aggravating him, he slipped his glasses back on. When had he taken them off?

' _Tell me something I don't know about you?'_

A loaded question, one that pried into his private life. He didn't enjoy someone snooping into his business even on a good day, but for some reason, her question didn't annoy him as much as it would normally.

He really should get back to work… Instead, he decided to give this Kagome a little more of his time. What were a few minutes? His work wasn't going anywhere.

' _What did you want to know?'_

He was curious as to her answer. Sesshomaru wondered if she'd ask him something personal or if she'd finally prove herself like all the others on this site and deviate to the topic of sex. Was he testing her? Probably. Anything to give him a reason to grow disgusted with her, something that would kill the strange interest he had in her.

' _Just general stuff, like what are your likes and dislikes, your hobbies, if you have siblings. Anything you wish to share, really.'_

Not the response he'd thought she'd make, but then again, this girl always seemed to surprise him. Still, it was a pretty general question, as she'd said, and left him stumped as to what to say.

Finally just using one of her examples, he shared, _'I like reading, writing, going to the gym, and sometimes playing basketball when I have the time.'_

' _A fellow bookworm! Now I am really happy we "met". Doesn't surprise me all that much considering your writing abilities. I appreciate the deviation from text lingo. I'm not a gym rat myself, but it would probably be beneficial if I were. And I'm not really a huge sports fan… Probably a sacrilegious thing to admit to a man.'_

Her compliment surprised yet pleased him. Being the generous man he was, he offered her one in kind.

' _Thank you. Your writing is above average, especially considering English is not your first language, either. You've been studying. It shows.'_

' _Now it's my turn to say thank you, so thank you. I do try and have been studying the language for years. I'm actually going to university to become an English professor.'_

Sesshomaru sat back in his chair, realizing they were alike in this one way. Literature, the words themselves held a lot of meaning to him, and apparently Kagome appreciated the very thing he adored most. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed talking to her?

' _At a university?'_ he asked, wondering what level of teaching she was hoping to obtain.

' _Yes.'_

' _Not an easy job to secure,'_ he cautioned.

' _No, but really. Jobs are hard to find, in any case, and I'd like to go after the one that most interests me.'_

Just like he had. He'd struggled just to get his foot in the door, then put even more effort into making a name for himself, and all his hard work had paid off. He'd climbed the editorial ladder, helping well-known, popular authors, and he made a decent wage in the bargain. But he was still working hard, pushing a helluva lot of hours. His work week was filled and he even had to work on weekends. If his authors could push themselves, then he could do no less than give each and every one of them his full effort. Besides, his pride was on the line, as well. His work defined him, made him who he was.

A workaholic by nature, just like his father, Sesshomaru didn't usually mind the workload, though it was tiring and took a lot of mental energy. That was why he enjoyed working out. It have him physical release when he needed to let of steam and it gave his mind a well needed break.

Unsure as to what to say next, he asked her a similar question.

' _What do you enjoy doing?'_

Unsurprisingly, she replied, _'Like you, reading and writing, but unlike you (maybe), I like to go on long walks, people watch, and…I don't know. I sound pretty boring, actually.'_

' _I do not find you boring.'_ Far from it, he thought.

' _That's sweet of you to say.'_

' _Just stating a fact.'_

' _And that's why you're sweet. You mean it when you say it, instead of giving me platitudes.'_

He snorted at the thought. Him giving anyone platitudes and false praise of any kind? Not likely.

He looked at the clock again. _'Shouldn't you be studying?'_

' _Trying to get rid of me?'_

' _No, I'm actually curious as to why you joined this site.'_ And he was. Kagome didn't act like the others that frequented Chatango.

' _I've been on and off for about five, going on six, years now. Believe me, it was a lot different when I first joined. Hardly any cyber and rp accounts. It was much easier to find someone to just talk to. Now it seems the site has gone down the drain. Just another sex site. Shame.'_

' _If you dislike the changes so much, why continue to return?'_

' _You never know who you might meet, a diamond in the rough. I met you, didn't I?'_

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise. Had she just— It almost sounded like she'd all but said she was happy to have met him. They'd just met, this was just their second time conversing, in fact, and they knew next to nothing about the other.

' _And you think I am that diamond?'_ he asked.

' _Perhaps. Only time will tell.'_

' _How long do you think we will be talking to one another?'_ Did she really plan on staying in contact with him? Was that a bad thing, he wondered?

' _For as long as you desire my company.'_

Hmm…

' _And if either of us should vanish and never to return? What then?'_

' _Then…nothing, I suppose. Would you like to stay in contact? I like talking with you.'_

' _I am not against it,'_ he replied after a brief hesitation.

' _Then that's settled. Although, if you don't mind, if you ever wish to stop talking to me, you don't have to tell me why, but just inform me? Just so I don't worry, that is. If you leave now and I never heard from you again, I might worry that something happened to you.'_

She'd…worry about him? A complete stranger, a face she'd never seen?

' _Why would you worry about someone you don't really know?'_

' _Because I know you exist. A stranger you may be, but that doesn't mean I don't realize you are alive.'_

'Because I know you exist.' For some reason, those words made him feel strangely. She'd answered his question, yet hadn't. And what she had said touched him in an unfamiliar fashion.

' _I agree to your terms.'_

' _They aren't "terms", just a friendly request you have every right to ignore. I'd understand.'_

Why must she say things that made him feel… He wasn't sure how he felt, but it was something, and it made him uncomfortable, yet warm. He wanted to get away from her, to avoid these disconcerting emotions.

He had work to do.

Being more abrupt than he intended, he wrote, _'It was pleasant talking with you again, but I have work that needs my attention.'_

' _Until next time, right?'_

His words. She'd remembered. Had she been waiting for him?

' _Yes.'_

Then he logged out without waiting for Kagome's reply. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear—well, see—what she had to say next.

Removing his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose again. Caffeine. He needed a hot cup of coffee before finishing the manuscript he'd been working on all day. Discarding thoughts of the online enigma that was Kagome, he got up, circled his desk and left his office, before walking through his empty penthouse towards the kitchen.

He should really get dinner ready, he thought as he stood before the coffee pot.

 _Until next time..._


	3. Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

' _Good evening, Kagome. I hope you are well.'_

Excitement surged through Kagome at the sight of Sesshomaru's message. He'd actually messaged her first this time around! However, he'd messaged her almost thirty-five minutes ago, and she could have groaned in despair at realizing he'd messaged her almost as soon as she'd left her room to prepare dinner, which she'd just got through eating. She'd left her laptop on, chat site active, in hopes she'd catch Sesshomaru online while she did her homework.

 _He probably thought I was ignoring him,_ she thought worriedly, quickly typing up her response in hopes that he hadn't left, though seeing the green dot next to his profile let her know that he was still online. A small reassurance. Still, she worried. He didn't seem like the type of man you kept waiting. At that thought, she glowered. Why should she care if he became irritated at her slow reply? She'd been busy, not snubbing him.

She pressed enter after typing, _'Good evening to you, too, Sesshomaru. Sorry about the late reply. I was making dinner.'_

Now it was her turn to wait, and while she waited, she returned to her assignment, an essay that was due three weeks from now. One of her professors had issued it, demanding his students write a six to eight page paper on one of Shakespeare's plays, answering questions like, why did you choose this play, give a brief summary of the play, the meaning behind it, your take on it, and etc. Like the good girl she was, Kagome did not procrastinate but got right on her assignment.

Probably like many students taking this particular literature class, she was not very familiar with the famous Shakespeare given the fact that the long since deceased man had hailed from England and the topic wasn't exactly as common placed as it was in the States. However, her professor was from the States before moving to Japan, and he seemed very fond of the dead poet and playwright. Diversity, her professor had said as he issued the assignment.

Before making dinner, she'd researched Shakespeare's plays, trying to find one that looked the most appealing, but there were a lot of plays to go through, and since she was not at all interested in the subject at hand, she'd decided to highlight the more popular ones. Still, she had yet to make a choice, and she still had to watch the darn thing before beginning her essay, which was why she'd decided not to postpone this assignment. Procrastination had been the downfall of many a student. She refused to be amongst the list of failures who'd waited too long and handed in a less than satisfactory paper.

There was also the added dread of trying to decipher old England's word usage and phrasing. Her literature professor had already had his students read a few poems and sonnets by William Shakespeare, and even when translated into Japanese—though everyone had also been given the English version—it was confusing to the extreme. Perhaps she shouldn't have logged into Chatango… Though she ignored messages from her 'friends' and PMs from other users, now that Sesshomaru was online, chatting with her—the very man she'd been hoping to catch online—she would be too busy chatting instead of watching a play. If she ever got around to choosing one.

' _That's quite all right. I was busy myself.'_

Stoically polite as usual, she thought with a wry smile at Sesshomaru's reply maybe five minutes later.

' _Maybe you can help me with something,'_ she typed.

' _And that would be?'_

' _Ever hear of William Shakespeare?'_

' _Who hasn't?'_

She felt her face grow hot in embarrassment. He'd sounded so…condescending, as if it was a given that everyone should be aware of the playwright, and she hadn't been, not really. Admitting to it, specifically to Sesshomaru, downright seemed somewhat humiliating. She resented that.

Her reply was short, clipped.

' _I haven't.'_

' _I see. What can I help you with, Kagome?'_

Deciding to get right to the point, silently reprimanding herself for going to him for any kind of help, even casually, she messaged back.

' _I have to write a paper on one of his plays, and I'm not sure which one to pick. Any recommendations?'_

He didn't ask questions but jumped into recommendations.

' _Several. Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, King Henry V, Macbeth, Othello, and Antony and Cleopatra.'_

He'd just named some of the more popular plays, the very list she'd been contemplating, so Sesshomaru really hadn't helped much, blast the man.

' _Which are your top three favorite plays?'_

Maybe if he helped narrow the list down, it would be easier for her to settle on one.

' _Are you asking me to choose your assignment for you?'_

Grumbling to herself, her fingers flew across her keyboard.

' _No, I'm just asking for your help and including you in on my choice.'_

For some reason, she wanted to include Sesshomaru in her personal life in some small way. Maybe one day they'd become friends and more actively share one another's life—well, as much as possible considering they hadn't really met.

' _Insinuating me into your life, are you?'_ he correctly guessed. _'That is not necessary. My opinion should not hold sway in your personal affairs.'_

Did he have to be so difficult? she inwardly groused. She'd asked him a simple question, and he was making it more difficult than it should have been.

' _I was being friendly, not proposing to you.'_

Her reply was meant as a snippy retort, and she hoped he got the message. There was a short pause before his reply came.

' _Romeo and Juliet'_

A romance? He'd picked a tragic romance? That surprised her. She'd been sure he'd pick Hamlet or Macbeth or something less…chick flick-y.

' _Why that one?'_

' _You asked for a play. I gave you one. If it does not please you, choose another.'_

Sesshomaru leaned back into his chair after typing his response, feeling decidedly on edge. Kagome was being snippy, no doubt about it, and who could blame her with the attitude he was showing her, the same attitude he showed many, save for his clients. Whereas he was polite and professional to his authors and those at work, he treated most everyone else with cool detachment, often coming out as cold and unfeeling, or so he'd been told many times before.

He was not the social type, liked to keep to himself, work and focus on whatever pursuits that caught his fancy. He enjoyed a few hobbies and liked doing his own thing on his personal time, not suffer another's attempt at witty conversation or deal with someone else's—namely his half-brother Inuyasha—drama. And yet he felt…contrite for his attitude towards Kagome. A girl not yet twenty-one. A girl almost twelve years his junior. That same girl whom he'd never really met, not face-to-face anyway.

And yet here she was, trying to befriend him, include him in her life outside of chat, and here he was treating her like a stranger. Yes, she was a stranger, but she didn't exactly feel like one, not really. The why confounded him, so he tried not to dwell on it. She was not real, just a username and words on his computer.

'Because I know you exist.'

Those words innocently messaged to him the other day came back to haunt him. While she didn't deny his existence, he was doing the exact opposite. For some ungodly reason, he felt even worse for his uncharitable thoughts. Foolish thought. _She was no one_ , a faceless individual he just so happened to correspond with.

He heard the telltale sign that she'd replied, a barely audible _bing_ , but instead of replying, he refused to even glance at the screen, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling. Romeo and Juliet. Why in God's name had he recommended _that_ particular play? She was female. His mind latched onto that. Kagome was a woman, or so she claimed, so it only stood to reason she might prefer romance over blatant murder like Hamlet. Then again, Romeo and Juliet had its fair share of bloodshed and death, and it certainly didn't end in a happily ever after.

He needed a smoke. Reaching into his breast pocket, he took out his electronic cigarette. A ridiculous invention because he probably looked foolish puffing on vapor. Nevertheless, he pressed the button and held it down as he inhaled. Nicotine. Blessed nicotine hit his lungs, giving him exactly what he needed, and as he exhaled, vapor streaming from his lips, he recalled just why he'd quit smoking the real stuff.

His father had died of lung cancer a couple years ago because he, too, had been a smoker, though it very well could have also been because of the polluted air. Tokyo didn't exactly have the cleanest atmosphere, but his mother, usually a controlled, outwardly unfeeling woman, had asked him—more like a decree—to quit. Instead, he'd compromised. An e-cig was his answer. It probably had harsh chemicals like any real cigarette, but he'd noticed a distinct difference. Though it still gave him the nicotine he was not ashamed of being addicted to, his chest was lighter and he could breathe easier than he had after smoking for nearly ten years.

His new philosophy concerning smoking? If you were going to be foolish and smoke, use an e-cig. It seemed to have less drawbacks health wise. His mother hadn't been happy, but at least she'd stopped griping about his nicotine addiction. Vapor wasn't smoke. He couldn't give her secondhand smoke and he didn't 'smell like an ashtray' as she had so loved to inform him when he'd visit. He hadn't touched a real cigarette since his father's passing.

Taking another drag on his e-cig, he finally glanced at his computer screen.

' _My, my, someone is in a tude today.'_

' _My apologies,'_ he forced himself to reply back, knowing she was right and it was only polite and correct of him to offer her an apology.

'Apology accepted, and I've decided to go with your choice. Got any recommendation on which enactment of Romeo and Juliet I should watch?'

Without saying a word concerning her agreeability to his choice of Shakespearean plays, he ignored her reply for a few minutes as he hunted on the net for the appropriate video stream. He gave her the URL and typed _enjoy_.

Her response was unexpected.

' _Wanna watch it with me?'_

He blinked.

' _How?'_

Was she suggesting they meet—

' _Oh, sorry. I'm so used to offering one of my online buddies to watch a movie with me. He has my Skype info and sometimes we load a movie online and watch it together. It's weird, I know. I thought so, at first, but it's not bad. It's actually a good way to try and do something "normal" since he and I can't actually meet up and go to a movie.'_

He? Her friend was another guy? Sesshomaru's lips firmed into a thin line, eyes narrowing in thought. It shouldn't surprise him that Kagome talked to others online, even other males. She'd even told him she'd been an on and off again member on this site for years, so it stood to reason that he wasn't the only person she talked to over the net.

His gaze flicked to his friends list, seeing just the one—Kagome. How many filled her list? How many others was she talking to as she conversed with him? He did not like the thought of not having her full and undivided attention. As soon as the thought manifested in his mind, another followed suit. Jealousy. No. Surely not. He was not jealous that she may not be exclusively talking to him at the moment, that he was not the main reason she continued to login to this site—like she was his main and only reason.

His jaw clenched. To realize just how much a stranger held sway over him was not at all pleasing. No. Kagome was _not_ the reason he continued to return. He was just…conversing with her, giving himself a much needed break from work with idle chitchat, a person he didn't actually hear talk his ear off. She was _not_ special, merely a diversion.

' _I see,'_ he replied.

It was long minutes before she responded.

' _Thank you for the link.'_

' _You're welcome.'_

' _I'll save it in my favorites so I can watch it later.'_

' _You have an assignment. You don't want it to be late, so don't wait too long.'_

He was being pushy and rude. He couldn't seem to help himself. Like her, he had work to do, so really, talking right now wasn't a good time. His fingers began typing a breezy goodbye, but before he finished, she'd messaged him. What she wrote had him backspacing what he'd been intending to say.

' _Are you alright? You seem upset.'_

' _I'm fine.'_

' _You don't seem fine…'_

Irritated, he replied, _'I think I know my own mind better than you do.'_

' _Right. My mistake.'_

He felt like an ass, and didn't that just annoy him further.

' _I'm sorry.'_

She was sorry? He was the one acting like a complete jackass and should be saying those two little words.

' _Why? You did nothing to apologize for.'_

' _I don't know. I guess I feel like I'm bothering you. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do.'_

' _I do.'_

Shit. He should tell her that she wasn't bothering him, that he was being rude for no good reason, and to offer her an apology.

' _I'll let you get to work then. Until next time, right?'_

' _No.'_

' _I see. Well, it was nice knowing you, Sesshomaru, even briefly.'_

' _No, that's not what I meant.'_

Fuck. He was making a complete mess out of everything.

' _Oh?'_

Taking a calming breath, he typed. _'I meant, I'm not very busy right now,'_ a lie, _'so there is no "next time" yet.'_

After a brief hesitation, he added, _'We can still talk.'_

' _Alright. I'm glad. What would you like to talk about?'_

The ball was now in his court, but he didn't know what to say. He typed the first thing that came to mind.

' _How are your studies coming along?'_

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring up the subject. It might appear to her that he was trying to force her to be the one to leave first this time. Damn. Why was online chatting so hard? Actually, he wasn't very good at conversing at all. He'd been rude, obnoxious, and difficult, so why was Kagome putting up with him—in her own quirky way.

' _Very well, actually. Though I'm not a straight A student, I am passing all my classes with nothing lower than a B.'_

The dean's list, probably, he surmised, meaning she was above average. She was smart. University wasn't easy, but going off her grades, she was doing very well. He told her as much.

' _You're doing very well.'_

' _Thank you. I do try.'_

' _It shows.'_

Now what? he thought, seeing no way to continue this thread of conversation.

' _It's expensive, though.'_

' _What is?'_

' _Tuition.'_

Ah. He should have realized that was what she'd meant. He pointed out the obvious on account of not knowing what else to say. This conversation had turned awkward. His fault, most likely.

' _I'm sure there are a few grants and scholarships offered.'_

' _Not enough, it seems like. There are many vying to get their hands on them, so it's not easy to grab them for yourself.'_

Too true, he thought.

She messaged again. _'How did you get through schooling?'_

Another personal question. Because he still felt like an ass for his previous rudeness, Sesshomaru decided to answer truthfully.

' _My parents put me through university.'_

Actually, his family, while not rich, was well-off, and since becoming a successful editor, Sesshomaru had no need for the wealth under his mother's control. Deciding to open up a little, he told Kagome this—except going into details as to his job description—and went one step further to inform her that he hadn't wanted to feel indebted to his father and insisted on paying him back, which he had.

' _Wow. Your family was nice for helping you get through university. I'm sure they didn't expect you to pay them back, but it seems like you are doing pretty well for yourself. Congratulations.'_

Why was she always so nice even when he didn't deserve it? Not only that but she understood and recognized his hard work even without him saying so, noted it, and congratulated him for his efforts. Her sweet disposition made his shortcomings concerning social interactions glaringly obvious. Perhaps it was because of her age? She didn't seem at all jaded, though she'd told him once before that she was cynical. He'd yet to see any cynicism from her.

' _No, they didn't expect to be paid back, but I did anyway. And thank you.'_

' _It was a matter of pride, right?'_

Was she mocking him or teasing him? Knowing her, it was the latter, so he didn't take offense as he normally would have.

Still, she messaged, _'I'm teasing,'_ a few seconds later.

Already realizing that himself, he said, _'I know.'_ More typing. _'But you're right. Also, you don't always have to tell me when you're joking.'_ Kagome was making it a habit by making sure he didn't take her words to heart, perhaps worried about offending him. If that was the case, she was far too kind. That was supposed to be a good trait in a person, and yet it had the potential to backfire and only cause pain at the hands of uncouth, callous individuals.

Her next reply confirmed his thinking.

' _I don't want you to misunderstand. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it was a joke or not.'_

' _Misunderstandings happen all the time, even off the net.'_

' _I know, but I hate them. I'd rather clear up any misunderstanding before it gets blown out of proportions. I'd rather skip the drama, if at all possible.'_

She was very mature for her age. Perhaps that was why he found himself continuously returning just to talk with her.

' _My thoughts exactly,'_ he returned.

' _You know what they say about like minds.'_

' _Great minds think alike.'_ He actually smiled.

Smiling, Kagome read his last message. He seemed more open now, if just a little. Their conversation had begun like usual but then he'd become distant, even rude, and she couldn't help but wonder, at the time, if she had said something to annoy him. She had been prying, again, and she already knew Sesshomaru wasn't receptive to it, and when she thought he no longer wished to talk to her ever, she'd become sad—sad!—of all things, but resigned.

However, that hadn't turned out to be the case. He hadn't told her why he'd acted so cold or apologized but he _had_ opened up to her a little. It had been unexpected but appreciated. Her worry of never getting to talk to him again was discarded after that, and now they seemed to have settled into an amiable chat. Sesshomaru was charming, in an aloof, cold sort of way.

It might be a mistake but she backtracked.

' _So, why Romeo and Juliet? Is it your favorite of Shakespeare's plays?'_

He made her wait for his reply. Either he was busy or—

' _I thought you might enjoy it more out of all of them.'_

' _So not your favorite,'_ she surmised. _'Which do you prefer then?'_

' _I don't believe I have a favorite, but if I did, it would be Hamlet.'_

Maybe she should choose that one instead? But he had chosen Romeo and Juliet for her. She didn't have to go by his choice, for some reason, she wanted to anyway, and though he didn't tell her the reason why he'd chosen it, she was sure there was one but didn't try to wheedle the reason out of him. So she decided to watch Hamlet later on her own time and do her essay on Romeo and Juliet.

' _Why?'_

' _Do you know the premise?'_ he asked her.

' _Yes. Basically Hamlet's father was murdered and he found out. Then he became filled with the need for revenge upon the murderer.'_

Was it the topic of vengeance that Sesshomaru enjoyed about it? she hazarded a guess, though she didn't ask him. If she was wrong, her innocent question would be a huge mistake and come out wrong, like she was assuming the worst of Sesshomaru. And if that _was_ the reason he enjoyed Hamlet? she wondered still. What did that say about Sesshomaru personally? A soul filled with the need to take revenge in so gruesome an ending, to take another life even if it was the life of a murderer?

He replied, interrupting her musings.

' _A single quote spoken by Hamlet. "To be or not to be." Of course there is more to that particular monologue, but that is what rings truest for me. Even in the depths of despair, Hamlet contemplates taking his own life but wonders if the next life would be a worse hell than the one he was currently living, so he hesitated. He realized things could be worse, and I like to use the phrase in my personal life. No matter how bad life can get, it could be worse, so count your blessings and move forward.'_

' _But he didn't, did he? Hamlet, I mean. He sought revenge instead.'_

' _I see his motives slightly differently than the plain-in-terms, that he found a way to continue living. Admittedly, he didn't let the past go and the end results were disastrous, but a lesson can be learned from his mistakes.'_

' _And what's that?'_

' _To not let the past consume you.'_

Sesshomaru's replies, concerning the play, were longer than his normal clipped responses, but they were very revealing concerning his outlook on life, allowing her to get to understand him just a little more. She agreed with everything he said, but also realized that Sesshomaru was a deep thinker, an intellectual, and didn't that just please her to no end.

He was interesting and very different than the majority she'd met on Chatango. Though he could be less than pleasant from time to time—oh, who was she kidding? He was unpleasant more often than not—she was actually thankful she'd seen his profile and messaged him that first time.

' _If you don't mind, maybe you can help me with my paper? That is, Shakespeare's writing is confusing, so if you have the time at a later date, could you help me decipher the play's meaning and highlight the more important parts?'_

Again with the waiting, but instead of waiting as he typed another long message, it was brief, like usual.

' _If I have the time. I make no promises.'_

' _Thank you.'_

' _When is your paper due?'_

' _Three weeks from now.'_

' _Watch the movie tonight or sometime tomorrow. I might be able to assist this weekend. Might. Again, no promises. I'm very busy.'_

Tomorrow was Friday. She decided to watch the movie then, jot down a few notes, highlight a few scenes she thought where important so she would be ready in case Sesshomaru was able to help her like he said he might.

She told him she'd watch it tomorrow, then she joked that she hoped it wouldn't be too confusing.

' _You're a smart girl. You should give yourself more credit.'_

She blinked in surprise at his praise before smiling a soft smile without realizing it at first.

' _I'd say that was sweet of you to say, but you'd only shrug it off again and tell me it was fact.'_

' _You know me well.'_

' _Not really, but I hope to.'_

' _Perhaps you might.'_

' _No promises, right?'_ she joked.

' _Right.'_

Since she had no idea what to say at the moment, she decided to check her messages.

Larry had messaged her a hello but she also saw two other messages from users she'd never talked to before. More cyber starters. She decided to close those new users' messages and to ignore Larry's. She was being rude, for sure, but he was not at all interesting next to Sesshomaru. If she was being truthful, she didn't really enjoy talking to anyone on her friends list, save for Sesshomaru.

They just weren't interesting, and she wasn't sure why she'd added them in the first place. Boredom did that to a girl. But she was no longer bored or needed anyone else to converse with on this site, not with TheWesternLord around.

Speaking of TheWesternLord, he messaged her.

' _Not to cut this conversation abruptly but I must get back to work.'_

' _That's fine,'_ she messaged. _'I should probably get other assignments finished. Talk to you later?'_

' _Of course.'_

Exchanging goodbyes this time instead of till next time, she logged out of chat with a smile—her cheeks were beginning to hurt from the constant smiling—and went back to work. She almost groaned at how much she really had to do. She really needed to spend less time on chat and more time studying, because the more time she spent talking online, the less time she had for precious sleep.


	4. Careless Whisper

Careless Whisper

' _Have you ever participated in a cyber before?'_

Kagome blushed at Sesshomaru's message. They'd been talking almost daily for the last…how long had it been now? Not even a month, just a little over two weeks. Sango was back from her 'vacation' with Miroku, and currently in her own room, swamped with homework. Kagome had snickered, shamelessly saying it was Sango's own fault for missing a whole week of classes, a possibly devastating decision. Meaning, her grades may slip because of it.

Sango, cheeky as could be, hadn't huffed or growled at her as Kagome had thought she would. Instead, her friend had the nerve to give her a saucy grin and said, "It was worth it," before sauntering into her room with a merry hum to supposedly catch up on her homework.

Kagome was justifiably ornery afterwards. While Sango was apparently having great sex with a good looking guy, she…wasn't even with someone. Dammit all! No, she didn't _need_ a man to define her or to make her happy. She was happy in her own skin, taking control of her own life and future, but she _did_ believe that finding a certain special someone was a bonus in life.

Kagome puffed out a breath as she admitted to another reason as to why she'd like to be in a relationship, if silently to herself.

 _I want sex._ She quickly amended that thought. _I want_ really _good sex, not some selfish prick, but a man who actually knows how to pleasure a woman._ Thoughts of her previous boyfriend in high school—years ago now—had been her first…and only sexual partner she'd gone all the way with to date and it had been…unsatisfactory. No matter how many times they'd done it, Koga had been too quick to whip out his package and even faster to the finish line—leaving her behind every damn time.

After graduation, he'd even dared come to her later that evening and have a quickie together only to inform her that she was a horrible bed partner, that she wasn't active enough, not vocal enough, it was too hard for him to get her off—impossible, was the word he'd used—and broke up with her. But she'd had the last word, she recalled with a snarl of a grin. She'd given him the set down of the century: " _It's hard to get-off when you hardly ever last even thirty seconds, Koga."_

The memory of his red face, his anger and humiliation, would never cease to fill her with malicious glee. After all he'd put her through, at least she could say there was one thing about the whole charade she had enjoyed: putting Koga in his place.

Inevitably, her gaze was drawn back to her laptop screen and the damning words Sesshomaru had asked her.

With reluctant fingers, she answered.

' _I used to enjoy it. It got boring fast.'_

She might have just lied…depending on Sesshomaru's perception of how 'fast' she'd gotten bored of the activity. Kagome hoped he didn't ask how long she'd dabbled in cybering. She really didn't want to be truthful and admit she'd participated in it for at least three years. How embarrassing. Normally, it wasn't so humiliating to admit to, but getting to know Sesshomaru as she was beginning to, she had a feeling he'd react caustically about her previous hobby. For some reason, she wanted Sesshomaru to like her, not think less of her.

However, if he dared say one derogatory comment, she wouldn't just roll over and take the verbal abuse without giving him a piece of her mind.

' _Why?'_ ,he typed back.

Grumpy all of a sudden, she asked her own question.

' _Why what? Why do I find it boring now, or why did I used to enjoy it? You're gonna have to be a little more specific.'_

Pressing enter to post her message, she realized she'd said too much—like always—because even to her eyes, it was obvious she'd revealed how uncomfortable she felt with this line of questioning. She didn't want him to know how much it bothered her. She should really get into the habit of short responses from time to time. Like now. Too late. She sighed.

' _Both, I suppose.'_

She wanted to be snippy, to ask why he was so damn curious, but she just barely stopped herself. Instead, 'manning up', she answered him as eloquently as she could.

' _As you know, I love to read and write. Romance novels are some of the genres I enjoy, so when I first heard about cybering, I was intrigued and decided to give it a whirl. However, as I am sure you are aware, many of the members here do not know the first thing about how to type and build an image in one's mind. Many sucked at it, and I guess it's also because it was a "phase" I went through and got out of.'_

' _Hn. I see.'_

His short reply that said nothing at all irritated her, especially after her lengthy message.

' _And what's that supposed to mean?'_

' _Nothing really.'_

Now it was her turn to type, _'I see.'_

Sesshomaru made her wait several minutes for a reply. She refused to feel on edge because of it.

' _How does one initiate a cyber?'_ he asked her.

Kagome blinked, caught off-guard by his question. She didn't want to participate in this particular discussion, but pride, as misplaced as it might be, would not allow her to back down, no matter how uneasy she was feeling.

' _Usually you'll get a starter from a user who has never messaged you before. You have the choice of participating or opting out. Some ask if you want to cyber, while others discuss the specifics, the background story as it were, before starting one.'_

Before he could reply, she messaged him again. _'Why do you ask?'_

' _Curiosity.'_

A grin, a not so happy one, curled her lips. _'Thinking about trying it out, are you?'_

' _Doubtful.'_

She snorted at his answer. Trying to turn the tables, she teased him.

' _You never know if you'd like it or not if you've never tried it before.'_

' _You're not suggesting to "pop my cherry" as it were, are you, Kagome?'_

He had to be teasing her, too. Thinking, hoping he was, she joked right back, and yet her unease did not lesson.

' _If an "advanced" cyber player bores me, I don't fancy getting into one with a newb.'_

' _A newb? Careful, little girl. Those are fighting words.'_

Now she was smiling. _'What are you going to do about it, old man?'_

' _Cheeky chit.'_

' _Don't I know it,'_ she laughed.

Then he just had to say, _'You didn't really get off on it, did you?'_

Shock held her immobile for a long second before anger scrunched up her face, her fists clenching, while her cheeks burned not only with anger but humiliation. He sounded so…demeaning and sarcastic. Of course, Sesshomaru could be asking out of 'curiosity' and not meant anything bad about it, but this was Sesshomaru.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd belittled her or acted arrogant and superior. It was his personality, ingrained in his genetic code, probably, but it was not a flattering trait at all. She could admit to possibly reacting irrationally, emotionally, and her discomfort over the topic in question getting the better of her, so she tried to calmly reply back.

' _I'm not saying I did, but what if I said yes?'_

Rereading her message, she could see that her calm comment was actually a very snippy one. He was lucky she hadn't snapped his head off, she justified internally.

' _Pathetic.'_

That one word said it all. Her anger spiked. She went off on him.

' _You dare judge! What right do you have to judge me?'_

' _I wasn't judging you.'_

' _Oh yes, you are. You called it "pathetic" if I had gotten off while cybering.'_

' _Ah, but you said you hadn't gotten off, so there is no need for this outrage.'_

 _No need— The gall of the man!_

' _You know what?'_ she typed. _'If you can't at least be courteous then I have nothing further to say to you right now. Good day, Sesshomaru.'_

And she logged out of chat without waiting for him to respond. She was just too pissed. She didn't have to take his bullshit. She already put up with too much of his crap as it was, but not this time. She'd always been nice. She didn't deserve such disrespect. It was uncalled for!

"Bastard," she fumed.

"Who's a bastard?" came Sango's unexpected voice.

Jumping, Kagome turned around in her seat to look at her friend over her shoulder. Sango had a text book in hand as she waltzed right in to lean her rump against Kagome's desk. Sango eyed her, a small frown pulling down her lips as she got a good look at Kagome's face, probably seeing the anger still there.

Kagome crossed her arms and looked away from Sango, and stretched out her legs, ankles crossed.

"Someone online pissed me off," she muttered.

"A friend of yours?"

"Kinda. I've been talking to a guy named Sesshomaru for a little over two weeks now."

"Sesshomaru?" Sango snorted. "That's not his real name, is it? It can't be. Who'd name their child 'the killing perfection'?"

"He claims it's his real name." Was she being defensive? Kagome wondered. Probably. She knew how Sango felt about her online chatting. Sango didn't trust people on the net, which was reasonable, but Kagome had always stood true to the belief that you could meet lairs and douchebags in person, too.

Sango's breath whooshed out in a drawn-out sigh, letting Kagome know exactly what her friend thought of her pension to talking to strangers online.

"Kagome," she began. "You hardly know this Sesshomaru character. He's probably just a loser like the rest surfing the net—"

"I know you did not just imply Kaguya was amongst that list of losers," Kagome warned softly, gifting Sango with a heated glare.

Sango continued as if she hadn't interrupted. "—so you can't take whatever he said to heart. You said it yourself. You barely know the guy, if he really is a guy, so don't let his words effect you like this. It means nothing."

"It's not nothing." Kagome was adamant.

Why didn't her friend understand that the words appearing on her screen weren't just conjured up, that a real, living person had typed them, which meant said person should be acknowledged and given as much respect as any other? Save for the idiots, she silently amended. Even she refused to give two shits about some sex crazed fool who thought only about getting off in whatever manner he or she could.

Sango dared to roll her eyes at her. "Whatever. Hey, listen. Could you help me with this paper? I have a bazillion things to do with a limited time to finish them."

Unwillingly, Kagome felt like smirking and didn't fight the urge for longer than a couple of seconds. It stretched across her face almost painfully. Throwing an arm over the back of her chair, she took up a relaxed pose.

"Don't give me that look," Sango complained, though a sheepish grin appeared on her face, a light pink flush spreading across her cheeks.

"I wonder why you're so behind in your homework. Surely it's not because you played hokey for an entire week to play slap and tickle with your man?"

Her friend slapped at her shoulder. Kagome pretended to flinch away.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Sango complained, pleaded.

With a laugh, Kagome agreed. The atmosphere between them was much more amiable, and Kagome preferred it over the mild discord they'd just had. It was a losing battle for both of them. Kagome liked to online chat, while Sango disapproved. Which was totally hypocritical considering Sango loved Facebook, always posting a new status and, yes, chatting with friends. In fact, Sango had over five hundred people listed on her friend list, and Kagome knew for a fact that Sango didn't chat to even a fraction of that number.

She never could understand how anyone could have such a vast list of 'friends' yet never talked to a majority of them. They were a waste of space. A friend list should be reserved for just that. Friends. Or family, of course, not anyone who happened to send a friend request.

She'd logged out.

Sesshomaru sat back in his chair, surprised. Never before had Kagome just…left in a huff as she'd just done. And who could blame her? He tried to shrug it off and believe that her age was showing and that she was acting immature, like a child with a temper tantrum. However, it didn't work at all. He would be lying to himself if he continued to try and take the moral high ground.

He had been the one at fault, not her. Guilt set in. He'd been a complete ass for no damn reason except he'd been annoyed at the thought that Kagome had ever participated in a cyber. Foolishness! And he was not talking about cybering either but calling himself foolish. Why should he care what she used to do? Kagome even said that she no longer did such things anymore, had went a step further and called it boring.

But she had not always found it boring. How long had she participated in cybers? What kinds had she been in? Did her past proclivity towards the sexual play imply she had low morals and standards? Was she loose like many females this day and age? She was a college student; she was still young, impressionable…

Sesshomaru shoved away from his desk, angrier than he should be. He took one step away from his desk when he heard a low _bing_. Without conscious thought, his eyes lowered to his laptop screen, hoping—

It wasn't Kagome who'd messaged him but a user by the name of 'wildnekogirl'. He'd started reading the horrendously butchered paragraph—a blasted cyber starter—before he'd even looked at the username. Only after making a low sound of disgust in the back of his throat and logging out of Chatango did he realize how badly he'd wanted Kagome to have returned.

 _And free me from my guilt,_ he thought to himself.

But he didn't deserve such freedom. He'd been a complete ass— No! He refused to get worked up over a chit he'd never really met. He didn't even know what Kagome looked like, for God's sake, let alone know what her last name was, which was probably a good thing. He might be tempted to seek her out if he knew… A thought struck him. He _could_ find out… Kagome had given him enough information. One, her first name, which was pretty damn unusual like his own, and two, the name of the university she attended. What was more, she'd also told him her major. Surely if he did some digging he could— Again, no!

"Dammit. _Fuck_!" It was unlike him to curse, but curse he did as he stomped out of his study and through his home to his bedroom. With the thought of changing into his gym attire and leaving to the facility he normally worked out at, Sesshomaru decided to physically exert himself to wrestle with the restlessness he was feeling.

Guilt over his caustic remarks to the only person who seemed to welcome him with true warmth tailed him like a second shadow. Curiosity made a third as he wondered at the possibilities of being able to find her if he so chose.

Not ten minutes later, he's changed into his red gym shorts and white wife beater, his long mass of silver hair tied back in a ponytail, and he was striding out his front door. After locking it and pocketing the key in a small compartment of his gym bag he'd brought along, he marched to his car and got in. With a twist of the key, the engine purring, and he was off.

Without traffic, the drive would be an insignificant fifteen minutes, but there was traffic, easily doubling, almost tripling the time it took to get there. Agitation beat against his nerves like a living thing, a serpent waiting to lash out. He'd intended to lift a few weights, do some curls, maybe go a round with a punching bag but at the last minute, he decided on a jog.

It spoke volumes towards his roiling emotions to realize he'd not only parked his vehicle at the gym's parking lot, used his membership keycard to unlock the electronic doors, and found himself already inside, striding towards the locker room to stash his bag. The only reason he'd been brought out of his thoughts back to reality was the sound of weights clanking together and a low murmur of conversation that was more soothing than the loud streets of Tokyo.

Everyone ignored him as he returned from the men's locker room and headed for an open treadmill, his iPod in hand. He preferred it that way. No distractions. Just mindless determination to run until his legs turned to jelly, while listening to the pounding notes of whatever song he decided to start his warmup with. At the moment, he didn't care what he listened to, so long as it was loud and had a beat to time his feet with. His aim was to sink into a mindless stupor, thinking of nothing, letting the music flow through him while his body beat out the restlessness he was feeling.

And yet, as he took his stance on the gray siding on either side of the black belt to the treadmill, his mind betrayed him still. There were many regulars he recognized already working out, though Sesshomaru did not know any of their names. Though surrounded by somewhat familiar faces, they were still strangers. None came to talk to him or even acknowledged him.

Strangely, or perhaps not, his mind conjured up a name but no face to go with it. Kagome. She'd acknowledged him from the very first time he'd went online Chatango. Always with a welcome, always wanting to know how his day had been and if he was well—as if she cared. About him. How ironic that it was a faceless stranger who noticed him but not a one of his fellow gym rats he'd been amongst for years now.

The familiar guilt tightened his gut. He'd been unfair, callus towards the one person who dined to spare him even a passing thought. As he turned on his iPad, selected a song without really looking through his playlist, he then turned on his machine after clipping the safety tab to his shorts in case he miss stepped and fell, which would instantly turn off the treadmill. His feet hit the slowly moving belt, calves working as the treadmill gained in speed.

She'd left. Kagome had never abandoned him before.

Abandoned. His eyes widened, and he almost stumbled. However, he righted himself before royally embarrassing himself by falling on his ass in front of all present.

Abandoned.

Was that what he was feeling mixed with his conscious?

Unacceptable! Speeding up the machine, he ran faster and faster, as fast as he could go. Legs pumping, arms moving in pantomime to his feet, Sesshomaru concentrated in the burn in his legs, in his lungs, on his labored breathing. Only then did he hear the lyrics to the song playing in his earpieces: Careless Whisper reenacted by Seether.

'…time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend…'

Was that a premonition, he wondered, paying more attention to the song than he ever had before. _Was_ Kagome his friend? She seemed to treat him like one… So lost in thought, Sesshomaru didn't even realize he was mouthing the words silently until his lips formed the words/lyrics 'please stay'. With a jolt that luckily didn't bring him crashing to the floor painfully, he realized how true those two little words were.

It wasn't Kagome who was the bird in a cage.

It was him.


End file.
